nogearCX

I'm curious to know if you pay a membership fee/due to be a member of your local team. If so, how much and what are the benefits provided by the team...to you?

Thanks for the insight.

Val23708

~$50/yr + 8 volenteer hours.

you get sponsorship deals and race reimbursement if you race 8 races with the team kit on.

RudeSiggy

$35/year. i'm on a huge team, so we get discounts on everything, sure, but the best part about it is the endless network of knowledge, support, and riding buddies.


you can also apply for reimbursement for a percentage of your race fees if you race 6 times and volunteer at 2 of our own events.

nitropowered

My team for 2010 is going to be $30, plus family discounts. I'm the boss so I can dictate the price. The team will offer product discounts from the industry, bike shop discount and bike discounts. A lot of this will be determined in October after I get back from Interbike.

botto 

€50.

no discounts, but our kit isn't that expensive (i.e. cheap compared to US kit, but expensive compared to NL team kits).

perks include entry fees for selected races paid, as well as a team car with DS and mechanic for said races.

swak

$70CDN/yr + volunteer 2 events.

Then another $180 to be registered in my province to race.

ericm979

$75, which includes a jersey. That way everyone has the current jersey with this year's sponsors on it. You're required to work at least one event (I've been doing lead motorcycle for the club's road race). Clothing is inexpensive. Race reimbursements if you place well. Plenty of club deals on bikes and parts and stuff. I'm sure the benefits are better for P/1/2s who actually place well in races.

It's one of the larger and better organized clubs in the area. The title sponsor is Webcor- a large local construction company whose president is a cycling fanatic. I ran into him this year training on Mt Diablo in 109 degree heat.

nogearCX

I used to live in NorCal, I know you Webcor-ians well. I was actually at the shop yesterday and a gentleman was in asking for good places to ride in a Webcor kit. He was here in North Carolina for a wedding. Brought me back.

Thanks for the advice.

I am considering setting up a membership fee for new riders to the team. I provide such great discounts on jerseys, bikes, helmets, shoes, etc. And operational costs are beginning to get expensive...especially considering they are coming from my personal account.

Grumpy McTrumpy

Local club membership is $20.00 annually. My team requires membership in the local club but does not charge annual fees. No reimbursement for clothing, but we do get some discounts on products as well as race entry fee reimbursement up to a certain dollar amount per year.

spinwax

I pay nothing. Plus, most of our kits, skin suits, arm warmers, accessories, etc are all paid for as well(if you are racing). Nice because kits are not cheap. I got 5 full kits, 2 jackets, skinsuit and arm warmers for this season. Depending on your results/cat you get a team bike.

gsteinb

no, in answer to the question. In answer to the spirit of it, yes, you should.

Flatballer

My college team is $50/year. Pretty darn cheap, we don't pay for any collegiate entry fees to races, plus get cheap kits ($110 for bibs/jersey, Giordana stuff).

There's also some volunteer work expected of you. Help out at our races, and do some other stuff if you can.

spinwax

Much of our race team are 1-2s (we do have a few casual riders)and to keep getting stuff you need to cat up and have results. I will hopefully be a 2 by the end of next season but most of my racing will be masters by then (since I am 36). Since I live so far from races it is hard for me to get to do a lot of them. Being my first season, I was stoked to move to a 4 quickly with so few races and earn almost half my upgrade points to a 3 in just two races. I am honestly scared to move up too quick I don't think I am ready for the big boys, but we will see.

Not sure why you put down 4s so much. Lots of fast 4s-5s out there that will soon be 1-2-3s. It was my first yr racing again after 18yrs so I had to start somewhere. I had very good results so the team took care of me. Honestly, there are as many people watching the 3-4 races as many of the 1-2s, so the sponsors love to see there names on the podium no matter the category. Plus, if your sponsors want to give free and cheap stuff, why not!!!??

Edit... botto, why did you erase your post?

umd

spinwax is very strong and races much smarter than his category. He will move up quickly. I've never raced against him but I've watched him race and he has raced against guys I know. I'll probably have to race againist him next year.

btw, spinny, the info for the Callville Bay Classic has been released, have you seen it? It sounds like our team is going to try to have a big presence there next year and we will probably do the houseboat thing.

Edit: to answer the question, our team is going to have a fee next year that we will get back through race reimbursements. There always seem to be several people each year who join and don't end up racing and they are trying to discourage that, and have it not cost the team as much. We pay for our kits but it is heavily subsidized.

spinwax

Thanks for the props. I am mentally slow, but hang in there on the bike!!! LOL

Yeah, I actually posted in this forum about it but didn't get any responses . My good friend is the promoter. He is a great guy and says all the hiccups will be out of it this yr. Looks like there will be leaders jerseys and the Masters may even do 4 days. I will be racing it as a 4 though. I am trying to talk Mike (the promoter) into making the leaders jersey look like the Hell of the West jersey in American Fliers. LOL.

Everyone I know that stayed in the house boats loved it. They are pretty cool and definitely close to the race!!!! Keep me posted when you come out and maybe we can do a pre race ride or dinner together!!
That is probably a better way to put it than free like I stated. I literally got 1500.00+ worth of stuff for about the cost of a pair of inexpensive running shoes...LOL. I think I paid for one kit and everything else listed was free!!!!! Pretty much free the way I look at it. Our team director is great. He really works his ass off to make sure the team is really taken care of and happy. We have awesome sponsors that have been with us for a long time.

kensuf

But don't race fees only cost you something like 4€ anyway?

Oh, to the OP, I don't pay, but I have to buy my kit.

botto 

0-5€.

that said, the ones that they've paid have been on the expensive side (€10 ).

gsteinb

So what's the difference due to? Incomprehensible money systems? Less greedy promoters? Culture? Insurance?

botto 

this.

this.

and this.

add to that, there are plenty of races on purpose built courses.

for the races on public roads: they find sponsors, and they don't have to pay for the local government's assistance.

umd

I know from helping to run our local race that our biggest expense was permits and police and the usa cycling fees and officials, which I think included insurace. So I would say most of the cost goes to local bureaucracy and insurance.

mollusk

I pay no dues. Kit is at cost. Bikes from bike sponsor are a very sweet deal. Everything else is 20% off if in stock at the sponsor shop or cost +10% if ordered. There are race registration incentives, but I ignore them and consider it a donation.

Talking to the "captain" today he is saying that next year the deal will be the team pays 50% of registration for 10 races and then a $100 bonus. Again I will ignore this and consider it a donation to the team.

All of this really doesn't matter. What really matters is that I like my teammates and we have fun.

pjcampbell

pretty sure our races break even (not operating at a loss) so where else would the money go?

jwible

Price of team kit and secret handshake (i.e. email the guy who runs the team and ask to be on it.)

Crash716

$50 for dues...2 race reimbursements a month and some pretty massive discounts on stuff.

calRider

$60 + volunteer at team race. We also get race reimbursements--as much as the budget will allow--and 25% discount at LBS sponsor and good deals with the other sponsors.